John Glenn was a man of many talents. He was born on July 18, 1921, in Columbus, Ohio. He was first in public eye in World War II, where he was a successful fighter pilot. He continued his success into the Korean war as well. However, that is not all he’s famous for. He was selected as one of the “Mercury Seven” which was a group of pilots selected by NASA in 1959 to train to orbit the Earth. In 1962 he became the 5th person to ever be in space, and the first American to orbit the Earth. Not only that, but he was also a U.S. Senator. He won a seat in the 1974 election, and continued to serve for 24 years. In 1998, he became the oldest person to fly in space at 77 years of age.

John Glenn lived a life full of achievements. He’s won over 20 various awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom award in 2012. Other recipients of this award include Ronald Reagan and Stephen Hawking. He was an inspiration to future engineers, astronauts, and politicians alike.

He recently passed on December 8, 2016, in his home town of Columbus, Ohio. But even though he died, that doesn’t mean he will be forgotten. He will be remembered as an engineer, astronaut, and senator and on top of that an all round good person.